Known side effects.
Psychiatry has been hesitant to provide a full account of possible side effects from electroconvulsive therapy and so they are given here.
The following is a list of significant adverse events (side effects) from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) treatment taken from the FDA Executive Summary, January 27-28, 2011 meeting of the Neurological Devices Panel. 1
adverse reaction to anesthetic agents / neuromuscular blocking agents
cognition and memory
impairment
general motor dysfunction
neurological symptoms (e.g., paresthesia, dyskinesias)
non-convulsive status epilepticus (a prolonged seizure that manifests primarily as altered mental status)
auditory complications
substance abuse
device malfunction (creating potential risks such as excessive dose administration)
adverse skin reactions (e.g., skin burns)
brain injury
physical trauma (i.e., if inadequate
supportive drug treatment is provided to mitigate unconscious violent movements during convulsions) including fractures, contusions, injury from falls, dental or oral injury
tardive seizures (potentially fatal seizures that occur after the ECT treatment is finished)
pulmonary complications (e.g.,
aspiration/inhalation of foreign material, pneumonia, hypoxia, respiratory obstruction such as laryngospasm, pulmonary embolism, prolonged apnea)
onset/exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms
homicidal tendencies
cardiac complications, including arrhythmia,
ischemia/infarction (i.e., heart attack), acute hypertension, hypotension, and stroke
dental/oral trauma
hypomanic or manic symptoms (e.g., treatment-emergent mania, postictal delirium or excitement)
prolonged seizures
visual disturbance
partial relief of depression enabling completed suicide
coma
falls
death
Known adverse side effects never researched
The FDA Executive Summary, January 27-28, 2011 meeting of the Neurological Devices Panel. Meeting to Discuss the Classification of Electroconvulsive Therapy Devices (ECT) also found significant adverse side effects had never been adequately researched by psychiatry:
- the effect of ECT on the lifespan of the patient.
- sleep disturbances including nightmares.
- visual disturbance i.e. changes in vision, visual impairment or corneal trauma (abrasion).
- auditory complications decreased acuity, hyperacuity, and tinnitus.
- urinary complaints
- substance abuse – increased use
- coma
- homicidal tendencies
Further references:
ECT: Is this the best you can do?
